On Saturday Joe and I were at the gas station near our house. Joe was pumping gas (like a good husband) and I was cleaning out the trash from his car (like a good wife). Through the window, Joe grabbed my attention towards a young girl on the sidewalk walking towards the very busy street. Instinctively I jumped out of the car and ran to her. She was probably 2 and we couldn't discern if she was a girl or boy. (Turns out she is a girl, so I'll stick with that as I talk about her.) I ran to her and cut her off from heading into the street before picking her up. I guess I thought that before reaching to grab her, I would give the adult person who was carefully watching her the chance to scream at me for approaching their baby, but no one screamed.
I picked her up and asked her if she was ok, but she didn't make a peep. Didn't hesitate for me to pick her up, had no reaction to me carrying her over to Joe's car, and just held tightly to my arm while we called 911.
She was a beautiful kid - masked by dirt. She had no shoes, and while it seems she had a decent diaper on - her clothes had clearly not been washed in some time. Her nails were disgusting and she had bruises on her face. Her green eyes and curly hair made her stunning. In one hand she held a pink bouncy ball, in the other another bouncy ball and a colored pencil.
The street she was about to walk into had cars going about 40 miles per hour. This easily could've been a worse day for her.
I held her until the police came - still not a peep. She had no fear and just continued to hold her bouncy balls and my arm.
We stood with the police for several minutes while they dispatched for a carseat, when I first saw the 10 year old boy with her skin color running around. He was clearly looking for her but didn't spot us right away. The police wanted to let him look for a few more minutes. It had probably been about 15 minutes since we picked her up when the boy came around again. We motioned at him and he came over and grabbed the girl from me.
He was clearly relieved to have found her - but less than cooperative with the police. Wouldn't tell them where he lived, didn't know his birthday, said his mom didn't have a phone number and was unsure of who was supposed to be watching his sister. He paced back and forth ignoring most questions that were asked of him, and I could see in his eyes that he was getting ready to run.
It wasn't until the police told him that he needed to get into the car with his sister and they were going to drive to his house that he really panicked. He did not want to get into that car. It felt weird to me…I just feel like that as a 10 year old, I felt like police were there to help me - this was clearly not his understanding.
Rather than get into the car, he offered to go get his mom. The police let him go but he had to leave his sister with us. I held her once again - not really wanting to let her go home at all.
The mom shows up a few minutes later. She wasn't what I was expecting, but wasn't who I wanted to send this girl home with either. She said she was in the bathroom … we now had the girl for 20 minutes, and God only knows how long she was gone before I picked her up. The woman showed a severe lack of appropriate fear that her 2 year old daughter had traveled alone down a busy street to the gas station.
I didn't think there was much Joe and I could offer at this point - and it would have killed me to watch the police let her take the girl back home as they drove away - so we left. But I won't forget that girl.
The next day, we saw the brother wandering down the street, and the following day I saw the mom at the grocery store. My eyes are always peeled for that little girl. I hope I am wrong - and that the incident was indeed a terrible accident - but I don't believe that yet.
I lack faith that there will be appropriate follow-up to ensure that these two kids live in a safe environment, and now I just pray that someone higher will protect them.
It was quite an experience, one that I wish we didn't have to have. But I am thankful that Joe saw her and we could love her for even 30 minutes.
You should follow up with the police and make sure that an official report to children's services was made. If the children are being abused, nothing will change unless enough people make official reports.
ReplyDeleteChild Abuse & Neglect Reports: 1-800-562-5624 (24-hour phone number)
Seattle office: 206-691-2300
Seattle office toll free number: 1-800-379-3395